Simon Harmer hits century as Essex declare with 410-run lead over Surrey
Lancashire relegation confirmed after they are all out for 273 against Hampshire
Somerset's Tom Abell takes hat-trick as they force Notts to follow-on
Gary Ballance's 189 not out gives Yorkshire a lead against Worcestershire
Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott out for eight in final game against Kent
Northants score 172-4 to defeat Sussex by six wickets in two days
Gloucestershire need another 150 to beat Derbyshire
Tweet us at #bbccricket
So Lancashire are going down with Worcestershire. What have been your team's biggest shortcomings this summer, Red Rose fans? Here's one suggestion.
From Matthew Vernon: "Seems fitting that Lancs may go down for the sake of a single batting point any time this season given the number of collapses that have blighted our season. #onemorepoint, external#bbccricket, external"
Worcestershire 340, Yorkshire 165-5
JT bowled by JT.
Josh Tongue picks up his second wicket as Jonny Tattersall has his off pole knocked over by the Pears paceman.
New man at the crease is Tim Bresnan, who was a target for Worcestershire prior to signing his new contract last month.
Hampshire 187 & 5-1 v Lancashire
Oliver Soames is caught at third slip, a fine leaping effort by Dane Vilas, bringing former Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams to the crease for his final innings before retirement from the first-class game.
The 38-year-old, who has scored more than 14,000 runs in red-ball cricket, is off the mark with a single, but one can only imagine what thoughts and emotions must be going through his mind.
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Ben Cotton has produced a superb post-lunch spell for Northants, who have reduced Sussex to 157. Cotton has 4-41 and Sussex are 105 ahead with three wickets left in their second innings.
Leicestershire have avoided further damage in the last half hour and are 76-5 after 35 overs against Glamorgan, still 283 runs in arrears.
Nick Gubbins and Sam Robson have posted a fifty stand for Middlesex, who are 54-0 at the Riverside, still 135 behind against Durham.
Derbyshire are 77 in front against Gloucestershire, having reached 56-3 in their second innings - Tom Lace and Alex Hughes are the not out batsmen.
Kent 167, Warwickshire 293-6
Keith Barker fails in his bid to foil the Kent spinners by playing the reverse sweep.
Judging by his immediate reaction, the disappointed Barker clearly felt he got some bat on it but he is given out leg before wicket to Joe Denly, Kent's third successful lbw verdict since lunch.
Somerset 463 v Nottinghamshire 93-7
Lewis Gregory again finds seam movement and it's too much for Tom Moores, who edges to the wicketkeeper.
They may be staying up but Notts aren't going to take much comfort from that at the moment.
Surrey 67 v Essex 334-6
A maiden over by Amar Virdi and Essex fall 16 runs short of a fourth batting point. Simon Harmer and Adam Wheater are both 26 not out, though, and have so far added 52 for the seventh wicket. They lead by 267.
Kent 167, Warwickshire 284-5
Kent spinner Adam Riley gets his second wicket since lunch.
He traps Tim Ambrose for 21 to end the Bears wicketkeeper's stand of 48 with centurion Dom Sibley (103).
Kent captain Sam Billings has so far had the new ball available to him for five overs. But, with visiting spinners Riley and Joe Denly now enjoying some success, he is sticking with a winning formula for now.
The downside for Kent is that, if the Birmingham wicket is now turning, that will be encouraging news for Bears captain Jeetan Patel too. He's once again their leading wicket taker this season - and just four scalps short of 200 first-class wickets at Edgbaston.
Somerset 463 v Nottinghamshire 85-6
There may be a sense of relief among those at Trent Bridge who are keeping a close eye on the Lancashire game, but there is little comfort for them from events on the field.
Riki Wessels is the latest to go, losing his off stump to Craig Overton, who now has 4-20. Notts have lost four wickets since lunch for the addition of 35 runs.
WICKET Mahmood lbw Edwards 0 - Hampshire 187 v Lancashire 273
Two wickets in three balls for Fidel Edwards, who finished with 4-72 after trapping Saqib Mahmood in front.
And that, we believe, may be that for Lancashire.
They lead by 86 but cannot take more than 21 points from this game, which would give them a total of 233.
Nottinghamshire already have two bonus points against Somerset, taking them to 233, and they have won two games more. Unless Notts are docked points for some reason, Lancashire cannot overtake them.
Image source, Rex Features
Kent 167, Warwickshire 279-4
Back-to-back centuries for Dom Sibley, following his second-innings 144 not out in the draw with Sussex last week.
It's his fourth Championship ton of the summer, matching his opening partner Will Rhodes. And it's the Bears' 16th in 14 matches. Impressive stuff, after managing only seven in last summer's relegation season.
Hampshire 187 v Lancashire 273-9
Lancashire's Division One status is hanging by the thinnest of threads after two wickets in successive overs at the Ageas Bowl.
Josh Bohannon tries to drive a full-length ball by Kyle Abbott but only succeeds in edging to slip and goes for 28.
Then Tom Bailey's off stump is flattened by an excellent ball from Fidel Edwards.
With their last pair together, The Red Rose county must - repeat MUST - find a way to push their total beyond 300.
Surrey 67 v Essex 324-6
Essex want that fourth batting point and Adam Wheater clumps spinner Amar Virdi for six to end the latest over at The Oval. They have four more to score another 26 runs. The lead is 257.
Kent 167, Warwickshire 273-4
Image source, Getty ImagesWarwickshire's lead is now over one hundred.
Dom Sibley and Tim Ambrose both appear to have had lives since lunch.
But they are still there, Sibley on 96, within one hit of becoming the Bears' second centurion of the innings and Ambrose on 17.
The Bears now are now 106 runs ahead.
Somerset 463 v Nottinghamshire 73-5
Samit Patel doesn't do a lot wrong there, but Lewis Gregory finds enough movement to take the edge and keeper Steven Davies swoops to his right to claim the catch.
Two wickets in successive overs. How are those nerves holding up, Notts followers?
Worcestershire 340, Yorkshire 130-4
Yorkshire's former captain Gary Ballance reaches his half century at New Road as the Tykes quickly regroup following the loss of their fourth wicket.
Somerset 463 v Nottinghamshire 69-4
Craig Overton picks up his third wicket by cleaning up Notts opener Ben Slater. The pressure is really on the home side even with Craig's twin brother, Jamie, back in the dressing room because of an injury. Riki Wessels is the new batsman.
Mark Cosgrove fell to the first ball after lunch at Grace Road and Glamorgan have picked up two more wickets since then to reduce Leicestershire to 60-5 - 299 runs in arrears.
Harry Finch (64) and Luke Wells (50) have departed after a stand of 109 for Sussex, who are 124-4 in their second innings against Northants - a lead of 71.
Middlesex are 31-0 at the Riverside, still trailing Durham by 158 after Gareth Harte's 112 for the home side during the morning session.
Derbyshire's Wayne Madsen has gone, lbw to Ryan Higgins for 14, and they are 39-3 in their second innings, 60 runs ahead against Gloucestershire.
Worcestershire 340, Yorkshire 117-4
Tom Kohler-Cadmore lasts just 26 balls on his first County Championship return to New Road, before he is adjudged leg before wicket playing back to spinner Ben Twohig.
A second victim for the young Yorkshireman.
Gary Ballance is approaching his 50 but Yorkshire are still well behind.
Jonny Tattersall walks to the wicket with the Tykes 223 runs in arrears. The immediate target is another 74 to avoid the threat and indignity of being asked to follow on.
Hampshire 187 v Lancashire 254-7
Tom Bailey wallops Liam Dawson for six over cow corner* and Lancashire have their second batting point.
With three bowling points also in the bag, their possible total at the moment if they win this game is 21.
But even in the event of a Notts defeat by Somerset, that would not be enough - they need to push on beyond 300.
*Why do they call it cow corner? Given that cricket pitches have two ends, presumably any bovine presence would necessitate the employment of a herdsman/herdswoman to move them from one side of the ground to the other in between overs.
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